<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>No Longer a Ghost by Snowy_Cas</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077371">No Longer a Ghost</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy_Cas/pseuds/Snowy_Cas'>Snowy_Cas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur Pendragon Returns (Merlin), Dark Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Modern Era, i've done the impossible, there's no death in this which is amazing not gonna lie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 01:29:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27077371</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowy_Cas/pseuds/Snowy_Cas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur groaned, "It's me, it really is." He spat blood, and maybe a tooth, out onto the grass. "Please, Merlin, you have to believe me." The pale face, sharp cheekbones, slender jaw, raven black hair, and above all, those bright blue eyes all told Arthur this was his friend, even though his actions and the way he spoke were as unfamiliar to Arthur as the rest of the world around him. He was back, he was alive, and Merlin was here, but everything was wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>145</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No Longer a Ghost</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     "Stop, please," Arthur pleaded. His mouth was filled with blood, muffling his words. It dripped down his chin and puddled on the ground. HIs face was covered in scratches and bruises and his arm flopped helplessly at his side, either badly sprained or broken. He could only see out of his left eye, for his other eye was too swollen for him to use. He could feel the sting of his cuts piercing him like a sword, feel his body beginning to shut down and his lungs grow heavier, but he did not fight back. He couldn't bring himself to. Another blow came, this one to his ribs, and Arthur gasped out in pain as he heard a sharp crack and fell to his knees. With his good arm, he reached out to the wrist of his attacker and once more said, "Don't do this."</p><p>     "You're not him," came the seething reply, along with a kick to the stomach, making Arthur cower even more. "You can't be. He's not coming back."  </p><p>     Arthur groaned, "It's me, it really is." He spat blood, and maybe a tooth, out onto the grass. "Please, Merlin, you have to believe me." The pale face, sharp cheekbones, slender jaw, raven black hair, and above all, those bright blue eyes all told Arthur this was his friend, even though his actions and the way he spoke were as unfamiliar to Arthur as the rest of the world around him. He was back, he was alive, and Merlin was here, but everything was wrong.</p><p>     Merlin continued to send punches Arthur's way, one of them catching him up the nose and blood instantly began to flow from it. Arthur cried out and pressed his hand to try and stop the bleeding, but it didn't help.</p><p>     "Fight back," Merlin hissed.</p><p>     "No."</p><p>     "Do it!" he screamed, and took Arthur's unharmed hand by the wrist and twisted it backwards with a sickening crunch. </p><p>     Arthur wailed from the pain, but still he refused, "I won't."</p><p>     "Hit me!" Merlin's voice was growing hoarse. He grabbed Arthur by the collar and shook him vigorously, then began to repeat again and again, "Hit me, hit me, hit me." More blood spilled out of Arthur's mouth and onto his shirt, which had once been a pristine white, now decorated in a spray of red. As much as Merlin yelled, as much as he shoved Arthur and as much as he hit him, Arthur wasn't going to hurt his friend. He just shook his head as Merlin continued to beg for Arthur to fight him. He wasn't hitting Arthur anymore. He just weakly clutched at the cloth of Arthur's shirt and began to weep.</p><p>     "Just kill me," Merlin sobbed. Arthur's eye widened and he stumbled a little as Merlin leaned into him with all his weight. They were only able to stand for a moment before they fell to the ground, Arthur wheezing as his knees buckled below him. Merlin kept crying and asking for Arthur to kill him. "I'm done. I can't live anymore. Stop lying to me and just do it already."</p><p>     Arthur looked at Merlin with a shocked countenance. He understood Merlin not believing Arthur was truly back after however long it had been, but he never thought Merlin would wish death upon himself. Mustering up all the strength he had left in his body, Arthur lifted whichever hand was in less pain and pressed it to the side of Merlin's face. The dark-haired man scrunched his nose in confusion at the gesture. Arthur did his best to smile even though it hurt him to do so.</p><p>     "I could never kill you," Arthur whispered.</p><p>     Something changed after he said that. The tears stopped coming and a wave of new emotion washed over Merlin's face. It was regret. Merlin's eyes moved over Arthur frantically, realizing what he'd done and who he'd done it to. Once Arthur saw that Merlin knew the truth, he gasped and let his hand fall back to his side, then doubled over completely. Merlin responded to this by grabbing Arthur's head and lifting it to face his own and spoke to him in a quiet voice.</p><p>     "It's you," he breathed. "Oh my god, Arthur, what have I done?"</p><p>     Things were beginning to get fuzzy for Arthur. He lapsed in and out of consciousness, and his breathing was labored now. He had to fight to get air, but he didn't have the power to do so. Merlin's voice sounded very far away. His eyelids felt like stone. Arthur closed them, and succumbed to the world of darkness. He was accepting death once more.</p><p>     But it didn't come. </p><p>     Instead, it felt like the exact opposite. A tingling warmth spread throughout him, starting in his chest and reaching out to the rest of him, comforting his aches and feeling like the touch of the rays of the balmy sun, The sensation rippled to the tips of his fingers and the roots of his hair. It continued to flow through him until his whole body resounded and buzzed with the honeyed sensation of bones realigning and skin stitching back into place. His face felt cool and fresh, no longer cut and swollen.</p><p>     When Arthur opened his eyes again, he was met with the sight of Merlin, whose eyes were shut tight and fingers delicately touching the center of Arthur's chest. Under his breath he was whispering the word <em>please</em>. Arthur chuckled softly, making Merlin snap his head up. The moment he saw Arthur intact and alright, his eyes lit up. Merlin threw his arms around Arthur's neck and pulled him close. He tangled his fingers in the golden blonde hair of the Once and Future King. Arthur pressed his smiling lips to Merlin's cheek for a moment. Merlin grew tense, and backed up from Arthur to look at him.</p><p>     Arthur's cheeks flushed pink and he averted his eyes, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."</p><p>     He was more than surprised when Merlin shook his head, then kissed Arthur's lips with such softness, as if he felt that if he was too rough that Arthur would shatter into a thousand pieces. Arthur took it upon himself to deepen the kiss, caressing Merlin's cheekbone and pushing their heads together. They broke apart after a moment and laughed, relieved that they were finally reunited.</p><p>     Merlin murmured, "It's good to have you back."    </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>